My Confinement Days

As of yesterday, my pregnancy confinement days are O.V.E.R.!!!

My Parents went back to Singapore on 27th December after almost 2months stay with me in Bangkok...
My MIL as well as my confinement lady left yesterday (29th December), after more than a month of helping out with the baby and household!

They were all really great help! I can't even begin naming the things they did for us... And I can't imagine them not being here during those days... Although it can be quite noisy for me some days! haha...

In the 1st week, I was still feeling rather weak from the operation... The incisions still hurts and my nipples were so sore! Ligaments were still loose, so I have slight problem with moving about, especially squating and getting up...

Eventually, after the 2nd week, physically, I was much stronger but mentally still very tired due to the lack of sleep. I turn in everyday around 8plus in the evening, right after dinner. But midnight breastfeeds got me up every 2 to 3 hours for more than an hour... So I wasn't able to catch enough sleep. Most days I was in a daze and irritable~

I sort of hid myself in the room most days other than mealtime. I wasn't in the mood to entertain nor chit chat with anyone... I almost practically ignored everyone most of the time... I was really too tired and emotionally I was not ready~ It was really until the last week of my confinement that I started to have some interaction with people in the house. I was pretty much in my own world...

I've been grumbling all my grievances to Tiki everyday. And everyday I have things to say to him... Niam Niam abit... And I'm glad he's here to listen and support all of my decisions... He too helps me alot, with baby Tyler. He's my Pillar to keep me from falling! =) 這種老公哪里找? ♥♥♥

The Grandparents usually does the grocery shopping every couple of days and each time we spent at least 200SGD for 2 or 3 day supply of groceries!! hahaha... Weekends, Tiki will join them but sometimes I prefered him to stay home with me... Karen, stayed at home everyday to help with the baby and me.

Karen would make Dates (Red & Blue) tea for me everyday in a 1.5 litre flask as well as 800ml of brown rice tea... I got accustomed to these drinks that I don't even crave for plain drinking water. And after my confinement days, I find drinking plain water yucky and weird... I try to get back to it tho... Anyway, she made sure I have a bowl of tonic every night before I turn in... Chicken essence, Cordyceps Soup or Ginseng Soup...

Daily meals are prepared for everyone by Karen. Although, sometimes I am forbidden to eat some dishes. Food was really good! I've had home cooked food 3 times a day for more than 30days!! I especially love the western food that she made for me! Chicken Chop, Pork Chop, Salmon, with mash potatoes or potato wedges~ I love the Marmite Pork Ribs too!! The traditional Chinese food were also very good! I enjoyed every single meals (Everyone in the house too!)... I will have a bowl of soup with every meal too! Too many Yummy stuffs to list out! hehe...

Black Pepper Kampong Chicken Chop

I do get to clean myself by sponge bath everyday with Black herbal water... On my 2nd week onwards, I was allowed to bath and wash my hair every 3 days using Black herbal water with ginger and sometimes white wine. Not too bad... I tied my hair up in a bun, so it doesn't irritate me. So I was clean clean everyday! I wasn't allowed to touch tap water at all... Karen prepared a pail of boiled water for me to brush my teeth, wash my face and hands... It was quite inconvenient. But I try to adhere to all the customs to not waste all their effort to bring my health back to normal.

Needless to say, I was prisoner of my own home... I wasn't allowed to step out of the house other than visits to the hospital... Actually, it wasn't so bad, since I was tired most of the time...

I appreciate all the help and tolerance our family had for me during my confinement period.

Tyler's First Month

Tyler's Feedings:
For the first 2 weeks we did Breastfeeding for all 9 to 10 feeds with 1 or 2oz of Soy milk for supplement.
For 3rd week we did Breastfeeding for 4 or 5 feeds and Soy Milk 3oz for 4 or 5 feeds
Next 4th 5th week onwards, we did Bottle feeding of pumped out Breastmilk for 4 or 5 feeds and Soy Milk 4oz for 4 or 5 feeds.

He usually drinks every 3 hourly, and total of about 9 feeds a day...

Tyler's Visits to the Pediatrician (Dr Tidawan Werapiboon):
5th Day, 26th November, 2010. We brought him to see PD for routine follow up. Everything was fine and normal. But during one of the feedings, I discovered a "pimple" with pus on his neck, so I voiced that out to her. She run removed the pimple and run some tests with the pus and the result was some bacteria, so Tyler was prescribed with some 5 days doze of antibiotics and some cream to apply just in case.

10th Day, 1 December, 2010. Tyler had stuffy nose which was affecting his breathing and a bit of dry cough, so we brought him to see PD again to find out what was the problem. She said it was a viral cold. He had mucus only in his nose and not anywhere else which was somehow good news to us. He was prescribed cough medicine for 3 days and sensible use of iliadin 0.025% for nasal drop. PD dripped Saline water into his nose and sucked out mucus. I was to administer same thing everyday with Tiki's help to hold Tyler down. He struggled and cried badly each and everytime Saline was dripped into his nose and the suction process... MAJOR HEARTPAIN!!! Tiki was feeling it too... We just cannot bear to see him cry so horribly...

I cried once when I saw a few "strands" of blood when I sucked out his mucus. Apparently, I had hit the wall of his nose with the suction (nothing serious). It didn't help when all the Grandmas were watching me do it! I was feeling frustrated that he was suffering from discomfort of the procedures and angry that everyone was watching me do the "evil" deed and thinks that it was easy for me! My Heart really goes out for Tyler and yet I cannot help him to ease his comfort... I felt really helpless... So I cried for about 10minutes in my room after that... Then I held him close to me... He's so little and has to take medicine and go through all this...

15th Day, 5th December, 2010. We visited PD again because he wasn't getting better... But PD still did the same thing and told me to do the same... Flushing out the mucus with the saline is the best way to get rid it.

After days of practice, I could drip him by myself carrying him. He doesn't cry nor struggle anymore... He fully recovered after about 2 weeks... Now he's nose is all clear!

1Month 2Days, 23rd December, 2010. Brought Tyler in for his 2nd shot of Hepatitis B Vaccination. I was there to hold his hand while Doctor injected him on his left thigh... He screamed in pain but no sound came out initially for several seconds... Some tears flowed out, then he found his voice... Very 可憐 look on his face. I called out to him and place my face very close to his, then he stopped crying...

Tyler's Growth:
21 November, 2010: 3.47kg :: 49cm
24 November, 2010: 3.220kg (His initial weight loss was at a normal rate.)
26 November, 2010: 3.326kg ::  51.5cm (Nurse said this should be his birth height because the measurement on the day of birth might not be accurate due to different instrument.)
1 December, 2010: 3.55kg
23 December, 2010: 4.52kg :: 55cm (His growth rate is in the 50 percentile for boys)

Tyler's Milestones:

He loves being carried and refuse to sleep/left in any cot, or bed by himself... Being spoilt by all the Grandparents... Once we put him down, he will make alot of noises and screams until someone picks him up... Getting naughty, my boy~

He is able to lift his head up for a few seconds when lying on his stomach after his 1st week.

He is able to lock his eyes with mine after his 4weeks.

He is able to lock his eyes and follow my face after 4weeks.

He is able to follow toys and moving objects with his eyes and head.

Misc Moments:
7th Day, 28 November, 2010. He was sleepy and whiny around 7.30 in the morning, after feeding, so I started to sing Sesame street's opening song, Sunny Day, and gave him a few Swings... My big reward was  I get to see him give me a Big big SMILE... Makes every effort all worth it! =)

10th Day, 1 December, 2010. His Belly Button dried up and dropped off but sadly think it dropped off when the nurse was removing his diapers for weighting him... So we couldn't keep it for him...

He sometimes giggles and laugh out loud and makes me wonder what was so funny and wish I could share that joke with him! hehe~

Tyler loves to pee once his diapers are removed or during any awkward times when you are cleaning him up... Everyone of us in the house had a "taste" of my little one's fountain...

Tiki helps to calm Tyler down in the night while I prepare milk for him... Tyler can be very impatient when he's hungry!!

His favourite "Stay Calm" position in the night is lying against Daddy's Chest. He will wriggle to the left side of Tiki's Chest, near his nipple and position himself there... It doesn't just happen once or twice... It has became his daily habit...

Just like this...

My Baby Tyler & Me

Everyone Who Took Care of Tyler in His First Month

Daddy, Mummy, 奶奶，阿公，阿嬤，表姨。

For Tyler's First Month, we bought lots of cakes and vouchers for our family and friends in Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia! For our own celebration at home, we bought a Cheesecake from Four Seasons Hotel. It was very good!! The Grandmas, Tiki and me brought Tyler to K-village for a stroll as a custom. I took the opportunity to get a haircut! haha~ We had a good time out after being stuck at home for awhile... =)

It has been a hectic time adjusting to everything for Tiki and me... But we have come to slowly adapt to the situations. Thanks to our many help from our Family, Tyler's First Month of Life has been smooth sailing... Still a long road ahead for us and our Bundle of Joy~ =)

Postpartum in BNH

After delivery, I was brought to the recovery room for 2hours...

I think I slept for about an hour and spent the other hour talking to the nurse who was looking after me. We talked about her children and some other stuffs which I can't remember... She's really gentle and nice... I could wriggle my right-side toes after about 30mins after surgery. By end of the 2 hours all my sensations are back...

Meantime, Tyler was being observed in the Nursery for 4hours. Apparently, Tiki was with him for a full hour... watching over his precious... hehe!

I was transferred to my ward 1515. There's a family area and a room with one bathroom. I was still feeling rather weak and groggy, so I rested a little while dozing off here and there while my parents and Tiki relax in the living area. Nurses came in and out checking my vital signs every hour or so. I was having high blood pressure... think the highest I had was 160/90 or something like that and also fever. It all went back down to normal as the days go by...

Breastfeeding
Finally, Tyler was brought to me for feeding. And for the First time, I had a good look at him... He's just so Beautiful...

Naturally, I still could not sit up... So Nurse helped me with feeding Tyler in the side-lying hold. It wasn't too painful in the first attempt and Tyler I must say is a real gifted "sucker"! hehe... Eventually, I changed to the cradle position and I suffered from cracked nipples after about 4 or 5 feeds... Every feed was torture to me... I wanted to give up many times but told myself to perservere to at least feed Tyler all the colostrum he needs... But then I also keep looking forward to the next feed... The Feeling of bonding with your child during breastfeeding is just so wonderful. I had to smile to myself so many times eventhough I was in pain... (Up until Day 9, I was still biting my fingers in the middle of the night due to the painful nipples. Thank god, my nipples has finally toughened up...) I was prescribed Motillum to enhance the flow of breast milk. It's actually a type of medication for nausea. At least I've lasted till now~

We missed Tyler everytime he's been taken back to the nursery. He'll only be sent to me every 4 hours for feeding and I missed him so much while he's gone... The reason he's not kept in my room was because I need time and strength to recover from the C-section... sigh~ I found myself waking up way before feeding time and anticipating his arrival and got angry whenever he's late... But once I saw him, all was forgotten... I love cuddling him and smelling his crown of hair...

Side Lying

Tiki spent the whole 3 nights with me in the hospital sleeping on an uncomfortable sofabed. He's been Fabulous in terms of support and TLC... I couldn't have asked for more! =)

Mummy and Papa was running errands for us everyday during my stay in BNH. Mummy brought food for Tiki and Red Date Drink for me. Hanging around for a few hours before heading home to cook and send food to the hospital again. Parent's Love...  =)

Daily Dose of Red Date Tea

Next thing, since I was bedridden for 2 days, I was cleaned up twice a day in bed. I felt so darn useless! Even when I could get off the bed after, I was given sponge baths by Nurses in the bathroom... I don't even want to look myself in the mirror! It's just so embarrassing not because of my nakedness but because of my uselessness... Seriously, bad feeling...

The bed in hospitals are supposed to be hard. But it's just too hard for me that I developed very bad backache especially around my tailbone. I couldn't stay still in one position for too long because it hurt too much~

I was taken off the IV after 48 hours... Without solid food I was feeling very weak... Once I took in some porridge, I felt much better and was able to get out of bed. Incision still hurts and my tummy was jiggling here and there like jelly.

Tiki had the opportunity to give Tyler baths twice... He's more experienced in handling babies than me... He loves to give Tyler baths... Perhaps he will take over this "chore" from me in future! hehe~ He always say he will dip Tyler in the jacuzzi with him! haha... Fulla nonsense~

Tiki Pom Pom Tyler

After 3 Long nights in BNH, it was time to go home!! After Tiki gave Tyler his bath and I fed him, we headed home!! We can't wait to lie in our own bed... while Tyler, his crib~ hehe!